On the first day in NYC, I also had the chance to visit the Museum of Modern Art which is also called MOMA. MOMA is perhaps the most important museum of modern art in the world. This is the home of van Gogh’s Starry Night and famous art pieces by Picasso, Andy Warhol, Salvador Dali, and Monet. I do not know how to really appreciate art and whatever I know of art is from my visits to art museums. So, I did not really spend a lot of time here. The reason I was here was because the CityPass includes entrance to MOMA and I simply had to see for myself what MOMA is really about.

I got myself a floor plan and an audio guide. My plan was to cover as much as possible to shortly before the sun starts to set. The reason was I want to be on the Empire State Building and take pictures of the sun set from there. It was not easy because the MOMA had six stories of exhibits.

I started with the Architecture and Design exhibits. This, I could relate to. What follows after this I could not understand at all …

I really tried my very best to understand. This is a “painting” by an American artist and is called The Italians. It’s all scribbling in oil, pencil and crayon. Here is what is described of this painting:

“Wild, scribbled, graffiti-like marks energize the expansive white surface of The Italians, revealing the artists’s sensous joy in manipulating his medium. The explosion of signs, ironically, is not without order or clarity: the rubbing of charcoal on the far left side of the canvas reveals the stretcher bar beneath it, a red heart can be seen at the bottom, and “rom” is written just beneath the artist’s signature at the top right”.

Yeah … right.

Then there is this other masterpiece called Leda and the Swan. Can you see “it”? Come on … look hard. Read this description …

“In this work, Twombly refers to the Roman myth in which Jupiter, lord of the gods, takes the shape of the swan in order to ravish Leda, the beautiful mother of Helen (over whom the Trojan war would be fought). Twombly’s version of this old art-historical theme supplies no contrast of feathers and flesh but a fusion of violent energies in furious thrashing overlays of crayon, pencil and ruddy paint. A few recognizable signs – hearts, a phallus – fly out of this explosion, in stark contrast to the sober windowlike rectangle near the top of the painting”.

Alright, if you say so …

I have no idea what this one is but at least this is colourful …

… and this one is, well, colored.

Trust me … this “painting” here is no random paint splatter. It’s errr … some “explosion of energy” … with some “furious overlays of the artist’s sensous joy”. I am getting it now … it had been a bit slow in coming but I am getting a hang of modern art. LOL

This is my first look at a real Picasso. This one is called Girl Before a Mirror. Let’s see … the girl on the right is the reflection. I think she is pregnant. She is looking at herself as somewhat of a more sinister version of herself and her reflection appears to be reaching out to her … drawing her in.

He he he … I made that up myself. How did I do?

Enough of the paintings … the sculptures section had a lot more to see.

Nothing in particular about this shot. I just like the sharpness of the back of this sculpture and the girl in the background turning back looking at me taking the picture. Not sure why … but I find this one interesting. That … dear chowtimes readers … is my contribution to the world of modern art.

Oh, the museum were setting some secret exhibition when I was there. There were a lot of signs that no photography is allowed. Well, when I went up the to upper floors, there was this small window looking down on the new exhibit area. I stole a shot.

Come back to this blog tomorrow … I headed to the Empire State Building next.